I found contentment and satisfaction. I found the missing piece that cannot be replaced by things I need nor warmth of anyone surrounding me. I found all that I need in my life. I found the sense of the cross. I found Jesus.

Category: Learnings

Since I turned 19, I want to share some of my learning throughout my year. I have learned more than these 19 lessons in my 19 years on earth. But I could only sum up everything into these 19. Take time to read this, I tried to make it shorter.

Everything happens for a reason.

Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses.(Ecclesiastes 3:1, GNT)

I must confess, I undergo to one of the painful decision in my life when I stepped on being 18. I must admit, those were aching and tough moments. Natagalan din akong tanggapin ang mga bagay-bagay non. I didn’t see it coming, if I knew I should’ve prepared for it. Sometimes, it’s hard to accept the things you didn’t expect to happen. It’s one of the hardest part in the healing process; ACCEPTANCE. Maraming oras na napatanong ako ng “Why did this happen to me?” o “Bakit ko pa kailangan daanan to?” Ang daming tanong sa isip ko na hindi masagot-sagot. But, It always lead me to 4 words “Everything happens for a reason”. And I believe, God has better plans for me. And it keeps me going! There are better times for that ‘thing’ to happen. Trust GOD, good or bad? It’s a lesson and the trip happened for a reason.

Step outside of my comfort zone.

I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way; I will guide them down paths they have never traveled. I will turn the darkness in front of them into light, and level out the rough ground. This is what I will do for them. I will not abandon them. (Isaiah 42:16, NET Bible)

Sabi nga ni Max DePree, “We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are.”

When I started to step outside my comfort zone many new oppurtinities came. I discover new abilities and strengths I thought I never had. Pag hindi mo talaga triny yung mga bagay na uncomfortable ka at paulit-ulit ka lang dun sa mga bagay na master mo na, you won’t grow. Try mo muna kasi. Instead of saying I can’t, say ‘I can.’. Get out of the box. Try new things. New foods, new adventures, new skills. Make it new everyday! God makes all things new. (Revelation 21:5)

If you just stay there and sit, you will gain nothing, apart from more fear of the unknown and more worries of all the things you don’t have or have never done.

Always give my best shot.

Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. (Ecclesiastes 9:10, NLT)

Put all your effort into everything you do. If you’re okay with putting in half the effort, you better be okay with half the results. If you want the best then give your best shot. Ayos ba yon? Go girl!

Hard work pays off!

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort. (1 Corinthians 15:58, MSG)

Every semester, “worth it! talaga”. Everytime I see my name on dean’s lister, I always says ‘hard work pays off!’. Di sayang lahat ng effort basta you give all credit to GOD. Malinaw sayo kung bakit mo pa kailangan laanan ng oras at panahon ang isang bagay. Everything is to give glory to our God. Mapa-saang aspeto man yan. Ang mga challenges andyan na yan e, sometimes it won’t be fun trying to get there, sometimes you will feel the tiredness and you’ll want to give up. But, if you keep going on, in the end, it’s all worth it. Goals are attainable if you put in the effort to achieve them.

You don’t remember the struggle or pain to get there, you remember how awesome it feels once you succeed and you already get there. You are more than conquerors, kaya tapusin mo na hanggang dulo. Ngayon pa ba?

Sing it out.

A Psalm. O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him. (Psalm 98:1, NASB)

I know that I’m not a good singer but, I can sing. Like everyone else, all of us can sing. Yun nga lang hindi lahat gifted ng magandang boses and I’m one of them. But, no one can stop us from belting out some tunes. Sing your heart out! Even if you’re out of tune. I believe it’s about your heart and it’s not about your good voice. Kaya, may mga boses na alam mo yun, yung ramdam na ramdam mo, may hugot mula sa kailaliman eh. Because, singing is breathing for the soul. It’s something that you can express and say. On key, or off key, okay lang yan. It’s good for the soul.

Sometimes, we also have to consider what we sing. Kasi, kung ano yung kinakanta natin yun din ang usually na dinedeclare natin over our lives. Much better if we sing praises for the LORD. so He can feel your love for Him. Siya yung pagkinantahan mo di lang nasatisfy yung soul mo. Pero, pag kinantahan mo Siya, aside sa napangiti mo na Siya at na-glorify mo Siya, you are also acknowledging and inviting His presence and it will empower and strengthen you more. Often times, we think only of singing when we’re happy and we just feel a good times, but singing is not just that, it brings spiritual strength as well. Read Acts 16. Paul and Silas are persecuted and suffered unjustly imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel, and what do they do while they’re in prison? Sing! (Acts 16:25) Even in suffering, ikanta mo lang yan bes!

Show appreciation for everything.

But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction. (1 Thessalonians 5:12, NASB)

O’ kay sarap magappreciate ng tao. The smallest gestures of appreciation and love from people around you would really mean a lot to them, minsan hindi lang natin alam. Pero everyone deserves to be appreciated. Hindi lang pag may okasyon. Hindi lang po masarap maappreciate ng iba pero, I realized na minsan mas masarap pa yung ikaw yung magaappreciate, we don’t even know what’s the impact of that to the person you appreciated. It can be as simple as “I appreciate your *tell him/her what’s good to him/her”. Just a simple compliment will make them feel loved. Do nice things for others. Kung hindi keri iappreciate ng personal, pwede mo naman siyang sulatan just to appreciate him/her, there is nothing more satisfying and heartwarming than putting a smile on someone else’s face. Be a blessing to other through appreciating them.

Take time every day to initiate random acts of kindness. Be kind to others, you don’t know what they’re going through. You can appreciate a person in many different ways sometimes, you also have to figure out his/her love language. “Do good and feel good.”

Learn to forgive.

Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him. (Luke 17:3-4, NKJV)

Well, natural talagang may makakasakit at makakasakit sayo. People will fail you. (but God will not). People are going to hurt you your entire life but forgiveness is not based on other people’s treatment to you but on your own attitude and decision. Last year, there was this person who hurt me (medyo bonnga), and I can’t explain the feelings I felt at first because I’ve never felt them before in my life. Yung ganong ka-O.A. Yes, I felt betrayed, discouraged, bitterness, hurt, pissed and many many more. But, after a month, I was able to forgive that person after all the process I’ve done, it doesn’t happen in a day, process talaga! Pero dapat faster ka din mag-process bawal slowmo, kasi the more mong pinapatagal the more mo lang sinasaktan at sinasaktan ang puso mo. After all the dramas na ‘why you do this to me?’, when I really forgave that person from deep inside of my heart, natanggal yung mga tinik eh, all the emotions that normally stirred no longer existed.

Forgiveness is the key to move forward. You cannot be stuck with anger and resentment forever but also acknowledge that healing takes time. Choose to move forward. – Ptra. Lovely Santiago

Yes, I can’t forget what that person did, It is hard to look at someone the same after they have done wrong to you. How do you forgive the person that caused you too much pain? Ano yun pagtapos ng lahat, limot mo na, nauntog lang? Syempre, hindi ganon yun. But I just decided to let go, and I choose forgiveness. You can’t forget but, you can forgive! I also realize that I have hurt a lot of people too (tao lang rin nasasaktan at nakakasakit) and I deserve forgiveness just as much as the next person. Everyone deserves forgiveness regardless of how bigger the offense is. God always forgives, so why can’t we?

The older you get, the friendships are to maintain.

A man with many friends can still be ruined, but a true friend sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24, ISV)

Sobrang naging mahalaga talaga sa akin ang quality time for every friendship that I had. I believe it’s one of the important thing that a friendship could have; yung oras. At yun yung way para mamaintain ang isang friendship. We all need friendships? right? Meron bang kayang mabuhay mag-isa? or rephrase na lang natin meron bang nabuhay sa mundo na automatic solo na siya? Wala naman di ba? Pero, as we getting older mahirap naman talaga imaintain ang friendship lalo na kung ‘hindi mo sasadyain na iwork-out to’. Sinasadya din yan! Graduating student in college, they’re a lot more work compare to last sems’s sched. But, I always make sure to have time for my friends. Because, I believe that’s the best love that you can offer to your friends, a quality time. I don’t want to make an excuse that I’m busy. Kasi, ‘pag mahal mo, lalaanan mo ng oras’. I-maintain ang friendship. It’s the best treasure that you can have.

Many find their significant others. Some of the people will be okay with the way you communicate and keep in touch, and others won’t. Friendships can also hurt you. But then, it’s important to realize we all lead busy lives, so showing your friends grace when they don’t meet your expectations is also an important thing to keep in mind.

There are also friends who won’t stay. But, will remind us to focus on the awesome people who stayed with us as opposed to focusing on the person who left. We, as humans, have a tendency to focus on what’s left, but the grass is not always greener on the other side. When you take a minute to think about the people in your life, you realize that you are too blessed with these people.

Stay encouraged.

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2, NLT)

So lemme’ share you somethin’… I was invited to one of the largest event for the web. (can only explain the further details in personal message) I must admit that I felt that I’m not for that, I’m not good at it and I’m not fit for that. I have a lot of *gusto-ko-ng-lumubog-sa-lupa moments* that time. There’s this one person there who was about to discourage me and tells me a lot of things. Na-na-na-na. I honestly felt discouraged. But then, it suddenly reminds me that I should stay encourage. When you go through deep waters, God says ‘I will be with you’. Deep waters can symbolizes fields. Kung saang field ka man ni Lord nilagay ngayon, God is with you. You have nothing to be feared. There’s no reason for you to be discourage because, everyone has their own great qualities, great skills, great abilities and capabilities about themselves, and sometimes some people’s progress, and going to the next step takes a bit longer than others, but never be and let others discourage on how slow a progress you are making. Just keep going! Sabi nga ni dory, ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming’. Have continual progress that is not stopping and just do your best. Always look forward in life.

May time na magfafail ka talaga but, the sign of failure means that you are trying. Nobody is a failure. You might fail at doing somethings, but never make that into a weakness. And it will never be your identity. Failure means success in the long run. Stay encourage! *tap yourself on the back.*

You’ re not living for yourself alone.

Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” (Mark 12:30-31, MSG)

This month of february, it’s my everyday prayer to God na ‘Lord, enlarge my heart. I want to love more people’. Love one another by extending a helping hand also. It is so rewarding to show someone compassionate and kindness. I think everyone deserves to have that kind of feeling, to love and to be loved.

You also need a discipleship group or a faith group to grow in all area of your life. And to experience a godly love from one another. Remember you’re not living for yourself alone. Even Jesus doesn’t lived Himself alone. Want to join a discipleship group? Attend Sunday Service at Faithful Jesus Church at SM Muntinlupa Cinema 3, Tagalog Service: 9:30 AM and English Service: 10:40 AM. Someone will approach you there to join a small group. See you there!

Don’t be afraid to try again.

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded. (2 Chronicles 15:7, NIV)

Because I’m afraid to feel that again, to happen that again because of the same reason, I’m scared that I would make the same decisions which have caused me severe regrets, pain and self-pity. Hindi naman porket nagkamali ka ng isang beses eh ayaw mo na agad, ayaw mo na ulit magtry. Don’t let a hard lesson harden your heart. Every failures should be treat as a lesson. Nagkamali ka hindi para ulitin ulit. But, it will mold you to become a better person. You will become wiser if you encounter thiings like this. Lahat naman tayo may pagkakamali but it is not our identity. Bumagsak man, nadapa man, don’t be afraid to try again! Trust people again, take risks, don’t bury yourself again too deep. But, be wise to handle everything.

Dogs are man’s bestfriend.

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. (Proverbs 17:17, NLT)

But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! (Luke 10:40-41, NLT)

If we read the whole story it symbolizes a great example of the consequences of busyness. We rush around doing “what needs to be accomplish,” while missing the glimpses of Jesus all around us and spend time with our love ones because, we are too busy to do a lot of things. Let us all allow ourselves to take it easy for a while. Now if you know me personally, you will know I am a ‘doer’. It’s in my nature to do a lot of different things and try different things as well, nabobored ako kapag hindi busy. Kaya, bata pa lang ako hilig ko na talaga sumali ng mga organizations or clubs sa school. Aligaga sa ganto, sa ganyan plus isasabay sa aral. Stressful naman talaga at overwhelming. It was really hard. But, I realize that sometimes busyness doesn’t help me anymore, mas lalo lang akong nagiging lituhin at nawawala yung quality sa bawat works. And because of this, I challenged myself. Magkaiba kasi yung busy ka sa productive. Kapag productive ka, from the word PRODUCT, ibig sabihin may naproproduce ka, may output. Pero, pag busy ka hindi automatic na productive ka. Magkaiba yun.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

Anxiety does not define me. Isa talaga sa mga nagiging alalahin ko taon-taon, monthly-monthly, basta every semester. Walang iba kundi ang mahiwaga kong scholar. Maapprove ba o hindi, matatagalan ba o hindi, makakaexam ba ko o hindi. Laging nakabingit sa katotohanan ang peg ko every examination sa school. And I have to always remind myself that God is in control over everything so I don’t have to worry about it. If you have always been so incredibly self-conscious about your anxiety, leave it to GOD. Most of the time, it’s a test of faith. You will realize that anxiety will only affect you as much as you allow it to.

Cherish your parents.

Honor your father and mother, as the LORD your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 5:16, NLT)

Ever since, my parents are my priorities. And it should be maintained. Spend time with them, watch a movie with them, stroll with them, keep them updated, talk to them about your everyday, because parents really like that. Treat them with love and care. Minsan mas close pa tayo sa mga kaibigan natin pero try to reach out your parents, you can talk to them anytime. The more na kinukwentuhan natin sila, the more nabuibuild ang relationship. Parents are your bestfriends also. Keep yourself close to them and show them that you love them so much.

Quality always wins in the end.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24, ESV)

If you are about to build anything that is successful in the long term (mapa-business man yan, mapa-discipleship, mapa-pagaaral) you need to focus on ‘quality’. One of the great example of first quality that Jesus mentions is that a true disciple “denies himself”. Para magkaroon ng quality sa lahat ng bagay, there is something that you have to suffer. Si Jesus hindi nagfocus sa quantity, nagfocus Siya sa quality. Kasi, pag nagfocus ka sa quality kasunod na nun ang quantity. Invest in things that focuses on delivering quality and being the best, then it will prosper in the long run, too.

Sleeping early is good for the health.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat– for He grants sleep to those He loves. (Psalm 127:2, NIV)

Ito talaga isa sa mga chinallenge ko sa sarili ko. If you know me, alam mong nocturnal person talaga ako at hirap na hirap talaga ako makatulog noon. I’m worried at staying up all hours of the night, but I have found, lately, that sleep is very important. When I started to have a proper sleep and have a good night sleep, it helps me function throughout the day. Sleeping early is really good for the health + you know, we all need a little bit of beauty sleep. It’s a gift from God.

We all know how great it feels to receive gifts. But, as I grow older I realize that it feels better to give rather than to receive. Our lives are richer when we give and that great ‘inner joy’ comes from reaching out other through their needs. Truly, the more you give from the heart, the more your life fills with joy, lots of happines and nourishes your soul. You attract the blessings that is coming from the Lord, whenever you bless other people in different ways.

A Chinese proverb says: “If you always give, you will always have.”

I am choosen. (period-no erase).

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9, NLT)

As you can see some of the stories there are like *reserved words* (still working on that), but if you want to get to know me more, I love to do it personally. The process of learning is never-ending, but I hope you did learn something from what I wrote. I would really love to tell more experiences of mine and the stories behind every lesson that I had. You can connect with me at my social media accounts: